Atletic Bilbao could be set to lose star player Kepa Arrizabalaga, as Real Madrid lead a three-horse race for the contract rebel.

Arrizabalaga's future with the La Liga side is up in the air with no new deal on cards, and Spanish outlet Marca has reported that Los Blancos could swoop for him as a result.

The goalkeeper would be free to discuss his future with foreign clubs in January as his contract enters its last six months but Real Madrid, who have been linked with the 23-year-old goalie over the past months, will hope that their strong interest will keep his in Spain's top flight.

The agency behind the rumoured contract talks - Bahia Internacional - shows both Arrizabgala and Athletic, and had tried to get the two parties to sit down and thrash out a deal to keep him in the Basque region.

Those discussions are believed to be some distance apart due to the salary demands that the goalkeeper is requesting - a factor that the La Liga sides have so far refused to bow to.

They have agreed to drop the goalkeepr release clause fee from €100m to €75m to try and keep him peachy but Arrizabalaga and his advisers are still holding out for a decent wage increase.

That has alerted Real to his potential availability, and club president Florentino Perez is rumoured to be willing to fork over €20m to sign the Ondarroa-born footballer in January to keep him out of the clutches of other clubs.

Arsenal, Juventus are also thought to be monitory his situation at San Mames Stadium, and the duo sides could striker up a conversation about signing him at the turn of the year.

Arsenal and the Italian champions will need to replace veteran keepers Petr Cech and Gianluigi Buffon in the near future, and he would be the right age to come in as their long-term replacements.

He has registered 34 appearances since making his senior Athletic bow in September 2016 and recently received his fifth call up to the senior Spanish national side for the November international break.